Playas del Coco is the center for all the beach areas in this part of Guanacaste. When we first came here in 1999 it truly was a sleepy little fishing town with a few shops, stores and restaurants. Now many years later the community has under gone a lot of change. It still is a fishing town as you will see when looking out into the bay - small and large commercial fishing boats of every description. Early each morning these boats head out for their daily fishing trip. Returning with plenty of fresh fish for the locals and for expats smart enough to know where the best deals are located. There are plenty of sportfishing boats as well ready to take you on an ocean fishing adventure you will not soon forget – marlin, sail fish, mahi mahi, tuna and whatever. Surfing tours as well start from Coco and will take you to some famous surfing areas – Witches Rock, Ollie’s Point (named after Oliver North). More to this story as you can imagine.
Coco has undergone a lot of change since 1999. In 2007 Jack Parker group from Florida began building the Pacifico Development just a few blocks from downtown Coco. The entire area transformed as Pacifico brought up the standards for Coco from average to the Gold Standard! Pacifico built beautiful condos and put in over 125 homes sites combining ocean view and nature view lots. We are now seeing many beautiful completed homes and many under construction. Pacifico’s Beach Club is second to none and is great place for dinner for Pacifico owners as well as the general public. With the advent of Pacifico several large chain supermarkets and stores moved into the area. Costa Rican owned high end supermarket - Automercado located in the Pacifico mall provides all the products we foreigners are familiar with from Canada and the USA. It’s like you took a trip and never left home! Other Costa Rican owned supermarkets available in Coco include Mega Super, Maxi Pali, Super Compro and other smaller mini-supers within the community.
Playas del Coco has some great restaurants and bars very popular with the expat community. Zi Lounge and Coconutz are safe havens for many expats and their friends. A great selection of seafood restaurants, Italian restaurants, pizza parlours as well as several locations for a good steak exist in Coco.The past few years many new restaurants have opened offering a wide variety of culinary tastes sure to please everyone.
Medical facilities are readily available with private doctor clinics offering great service and several dental offices to look after your pearly whites at a reasonable cost. There are four pharmacies to provide any necessary refills or prescriptions.
There are several nice hotels in the area - some on the beach and others set back a block or two. All offer the opportunity to get on the internet, book tours or just relax.
Playas del Coco in the evening is a busy place - great for people watching or shopping. Numerous open air shops offer souvenirs of every kind. A great place to wander through on a warm tropical night and soak up some Pura Vida! The revised beach front pathway with basketball court, volley ball court plus the local soccer field can provide some great free entertainment.
Playas del Coco has recently undergone an amazing transformation of the beachfront, which had been occupied for decades by residential and commercial buildings reaching almost all the way to the sand. Now, the beachfront has had wide walkways built that extend from one end of the beach to the other.
Please check Discover Pacifico Development and Discover Las Palmas Development for specific information on two of the larger developments located in Playas del Coco.
Be sure to check out our section on Tourist Services for suggestions on accommodations, restaurants, tours & adventures, shopping, and professional services in the Papagayo Region.
Shopping, Bars, Restaurants & Coffee Shops in Playas del Coco
